Surgical stapling apparatus that clamp, cut and/or staple tissue between opposing jaw structure are well known in the art. Such surgical stapling apparatus can include loading units with a tool assembly having two elongated jaw members used to capture or clamp tissue. One of the two jaw members usually carries a staple cartridge that houses a plurality of staples while the other of the two jaw members has an anvil for forming the staples as the staples are driven from the staple cartridge. Generally, a stapling operation is effectuated by a cam bar, a drive sled or other similar mechanism having a cam member that travels longitudinally through channels defined in the staple cartridge and acts upon staple pushers in the channels to sequentially eject the staples from the staple cartridge.
During endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures in which surgery is performed through small incisions or through narrow cannulas inserted through the small incisions in the skin, replacement of the staple cartridge or the loading unit, for example, after firing, requires removal of the surgical stapling device from the incision or cannula, replacement of the staple cartridge and/or loading unit and reinsertion of the surgical stapling device into the incision or cannula.
It would be advantageous to provide a staple cartridge or loading unit that is capable of being fired a plurality of times before replacement of the staple cartridge or loading unit is required.